Spicy Tomato Soup

Fair warning - this soup is fiery! But with a dollop of yoghurt it's absolutely delicious and truly warms you from the inside out. Bulked out with a bit of rice for texture, it's the perfect comfort food in a bowl.

As well as a fresh chilli, I also use a good tablespoon of chipotle paste, a smoky Mexican condiment made from chipotle chilli peppers (dried jalapenos) with a little onion and garlic - a flavour sensation! If you want to reduce the heat, you can half the amount of paste and fresh chilli but really the joy of this dish is the warmth so just go for it!

Spicy Tomato Soup
Serves 4

400g tin chopped tomatoes 

2 tbsp tomato purée 

3 garlic cloves ginger 

thumb-sized piece, peeled and sliced 

600ml vegetable stock, cooled 

1 tbsp chipotle paste

small bunch of basil, roughly chopped

1 green pepper, cut into bite-sized pieces 

1 green chilli, chopped 

5 tbsp basmati rice 

4 tbsp natural yoghurt

sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Put the chopped tomatoes, tomato purée, garlic and ginger in a blender or food processor with the stock and whizz until smooth. Pour into a large pan and add the chipotle, the basil, green pepper, most of the chilli and a good pinch of salt and pepper. 

Bring to a simmer and cook on a medium heat for 10 minutes, then add the rice and cook for another 10-15 minutes or until the rice is tender. Add a little water or stock if the soup is too thick. 

Serve in bowls with a dollop of yoghurt.